Device for replacing fuses.



No. 772,200. PATENTED 00T. 11, 1904. H. G. ADDIE. DEVICE'. FR REPLAGINGFUSES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. 1904. N0 MODEL..

4mm WNBA Wzin @Se 9,5/1 fn venan- UNITED STATES Patented October 11,1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

HERBERT Gr. ADDIE, OF CRESCO, IOW'A.

SECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,200, dated October`11, 1904.

Application iiled .'lpril 4, 1904. Serial No. 201,606. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom/ t party concern:

Be it known that I, HERBEETG. ADDIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cresco, in the county of Howard and State oil Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for ReplacingFuses, of which the 'following is a speciiication.

rIhis invention relates to improvements in means for replacing blown-outfuses; and the particular device described is especially adapted for usein connection with the electric equipment of street-railway cars, thoughit may be` utilized with slight modiiications in other relations wherethe fuses are liable to be burned out. Y

The invention comprises means for holding a fuse in operative positionand other means, including a reservoir orl chamber containing a supplyof fuses, whereby when the operative fuse is blown a new fuse may beeasily and quickly inserted in operative position without the necessityof stopping the car and without appreciable interruption to the currentin the circuit wherein the fuse is placed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part oi' this application, Ihave shown a preferred adaptation of my invention in the followingviews:

Figure l is a vertical section through the device complete. Fig. 2 is airont elevation of same, and Fig. 8 is a rear elevation. Y

Referring to the details of the drawings, A represents a box of theshape shown, which contains the operative parts of the device. At thelower end oi the box is a hollow extension c', made of suitableinsulating material, in the front and rear sides of which are provided,respectively, openings a2 a3. The upper end of the box is open andprovided with a cover Cf. Dividing the box longitudinally intocompartments c5 c is a vertical partition c7, which extends from the topto near the lower end. The front wall of the box is provided with aglass as and is curved at its lower portion a9, thus forming a curveddischarge-opening at the bottom oi' the magazine-compartment a5, whichmerges with the straight opening at the bottom of the compartment au.The magazine-compartment c5 is adapted to hold a supply of fuses ofsuitable construction, but preferably cylindrical in form, as B, andarranged in single-column form, as shown.

Slidably arranged in the compartment c is a plunger C, of insulatingmaterial, to the upper end of which is pivotally connected the lower endoi' a link (ZQ the upper end of which is pivoted at Z2 on the handle orlever D. The lever is in the bent form shown and is pivoted at Z3between the uprights (Zi, secured to the side walls of the box, and isoperated by raising and loweringI the free end in the usual manner.

To the lower part oi' the rear wall of the box is secured ajlat springe, the free and curved end c2 of which projects inwardly through asuitable opening d in said wall at the throat or entrance to theextension c, thus forming a yielding obstruction at said point.

Secured to the front and rear walls of the extension a' are springplates or bands F F, made from flat metal and bent to form curvedrecesses f' f, and outward-Haring end portions fgfz, which project intothe extension a' through the respective openings c2603. The recessesf' fwhen oppositely placed, as shown, form an open socket which is adaptedto receive a fuse, and the latter is held in operative position by thepartial embrace of the springs. Binding-posts f3 connect thecircuit-wires y, respectively, to one pair oli' the spring-plates F, sothat' the latter are at all times in circuit, and the circuit is closedwhen a fuse is in position between and embraced by said springs.

/Vhen my device is used in connection with an electrically-operated car,I place it where the handle will be readily accessible by the motorman,and its operation will be as follows: The compartment or magazine a"being supplied with extra fuses and one fuse being in operative positionbetween the springplates F, any excess of current beyond the capacity ofthe fuse will blow or burn out the latter, thus opening the circuit,whereupon the motorman will depress the handle of the lever, and thusforce downwardly thc plunger, the lower end of which bears upon thelowermost fuse, whereupon suoli fuse will be forced past the springe(which normally holds IOO the lowermost fuse in readiness for thisoperation) and into the socket formed by the recesses j in thespring-plates F and takes the place of the blown fuse, which will beforced out by the incoming' fuse. By the expansive action of the springZ5 on the link CZ the plunger will be restored to its normal positionand permit the next fuse to drop against the end c2 of the spring e.

While I have shown a cylindrical-shaped fuse, it will be apparent thatspherical or other shapes may be used, the fuse per Se forming no partof this inve-ntion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a fuse-replacer, a box comprising a fuse-holding magazine, andhaving an extension adapted to receive the fuses singly from saidmagazine, means for holding the fuses at the entrance of the extension,and means for holding' a fuse in operative position Within theextension, said last-mentioned means being arranged Within the electriccircuit.

2. In a fuse-replacer, a box comprising a fuse-holding' magazine andhaving an extension adapted to receive the fuses singly from themagazine, yielding means for holding the fuses at the entrance of theextension, means for holding a fuse in operative position, and means forforcing a fuse from the magazine into operative position.

3. In a fuse-replacer, a box comprising a fuse-holding magazine andhaving an extension adapted to receive the fuses singly from themagazine, a spring for holding the fuses at the entrance oftheextension, means in said extension for holding a fuse in operativeposition and manually-operated means for forcing' a fuse from themagazine into operative position.

4. In a device for replacing fuses, a box comprising a fuse-magazine anda plungerslidevvay, said box open at its lovver end, an extensionregistering With the lower end of the box, a spring extending partiallyacross the entrance to said extension, a plunger arranged in saidslideWay and means for operating same, and yielding plates arranged insaid extension and adapted to hold a fuse in operative position.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of Witnesses.

HERBERT G. ADDIE.

Witnesses:

A. D. PERRY, JAS. GANNoN, D. H. MoINTosH.

